Packaging: Less plastics, the holy grail for eco-friendly packaging

Seen as a
plausible
solution to
remedy the
plastic waste
crisis, reducing
plastics is the
approach the
packaging sector
is taking, says
Angelica Buan in
this article.

Plastics production is continuous and yearly, about 300 million of plastics are
produced worldwide. At the same time, plastics accounted for almost 1.8 billion
tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2015, and the amount of plastics in the waste stream is
projected to increase as consumption for the material increases.

Some experts declared that the traditional plastics’ “design failure” results in the
accumulation of hard-to-recycle and non-degradable plastics in the waste stream; while
others attribute the ambit of plastics pollution to the lackadaisical attitude of plastics and
chemical industries in resolving this.

A report published in 2018 by US-based Center for International Environmental Law
cited that plastics producers, together with resin producers and chemical/petroleum
businesses that provide feedstocks, have long known about the ocean plastic problem, yet
have maintained an exclusive stance on the matter. “Plastics producers have often taken
the position that they are only responsible for plastic waste in the form of resin pellets,
and that other forms of plastic waste are out of their control,” said the report.

Meanwhile, according to researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara,
in a recent study on plastics’ carbon footprint, and which they say as the first global
assessment of the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from plastics, global
demand for plastics could grow by 22% over the next five years. Therefore, in order
to break even, emissions must be slashed by 18%. At the current rate, emissions from
plastics will reach 17% of the global carbon budget by 2050, the report furthered.

To help curb rising emissions is to reduce demand for plastics, which as statistics have
shown has not resulted favourably as expected. For example, the plastic bag ban has
already run its course, with plastic alternatives that are claimed to biodegrade faster but
are more costly to produce have yet to keep up at conventional plastics’ adoption rates.

Recycling is a straightforward solution, however, this too has yet to deliver the
targeted numbers. Based on findings from the Production, use, and fate of all plastics
ever made report by the University of California, over 90% of plastics were not recycled
in 2015.

Thus, using fewer plastics and increasing post-consumer recycled content are
attainable strategies, especially in packaging, plastics’ largest
market that has continued to grow against the back of rising
demand for single-use containers for food, beverage, and
consumer products.

Recyclable-certified mono-structure films in the market

By design, plastic films are already environmentally-friendly
because it takes less energy to produce and the films occupy
less space in storage and shipping and thus reduce logistical
environment impact. Many films are also recyclable and more
innovations in films are expected to be launched to comply
with recycling standards.

One such development comes from UK-headquartered
manufacturer of biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP)
films Innovia Films that has snagged the “Made for
Recycling” qualification for its newly launched high barrier
BOPP film. The company worked with Interseroh, an independent
German recycling and consulting company, to have its Propafilm
Strata SL film evaluated. Interseroh analyse and evaluate the
packaging based on sound criteria along with the entire after-life
processes (collection, sorting, recycling and processing). The result is a scale that determines whether the
packaging is non-recyclable through to very good.
The Strata BOPP film obtained a “very good” rating.

According to Innovia Films, due to the mono
structure of the film it performs much better in recycling
than composite films and can be added to the PP-closed
loop system. Other attributes are its barrier to aroma,
mineral oils and oxygen even at relative humidity levels,
ensuring increased shelf life. It is glossy, food contactcompliant
and chlorine-free. Additionally, the film is
suitable for use in a range of markets, is printable and
offers a wide seal and hot tack range.

Along that vein, a fully recyclable packing film
for fresh and processed food has been developed by
Austrian paper and packaging company Mondi. The
recyclable PP film is ideal for the thermoforming of
flexible films for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
and vacuum packaging, which is known for its ability
to extend the shelf life of products such as meat and
cheese. The new, coextruded material includes a top
and bottom web, with an internal barrier layer that
comprises less than 5% of the entire structure, meaning
it qualifies as a mono-material construction and is fully
recyclable in existing waste streams.

Germany-based
Institut cyclos-HTP (Institute
for Recyclability and Product Responsibility) has
independently certified the film structure to have the
highest qualification “Class AAA” in recyclability.
Previous multi-material construction rendered the
previous packaging unrecyclable and also resulted in a
much higher carbon footprint as confirmed by life cycle
analyses. The new film represents a 23% reduction in
carbon footprint compared to existing conventional
packaging, Mondi said.

Likewise, English chemicals manufacturer Birch
Chemicals (formerly Innovo) is embarking on an effort
to reduce its plastic usage by 6.8 tonnes/year. Recently,
it partnered with UK packaging supplier Kite to carry
out a stretch wrap audit on site with one of Kite’s load
retention specialists. The result was the implementation
of a brand new stronger, more efficient and thinner
film applied using one of Kite’s Robopac wrapping
machines.

This will save the equivalent of 566,667 plastic
bottles in packaging and reduce carbon emissions by
the equivalent of taking seven family-sized diesel cars
off the road, according to Birch, which is also known for
its Masterox range of plastic desiccants used in thin film
and other plastics applications, including recycling.

More recycled content, shift to aluminium

Beverage giant PepsiCo has innovated its packaging
by using recycled plastic and in a recent bid to use
less plastic, shifted to using aluminium cans for
certain brands.

To be trialled in the market is the new non-plastic
packaging for the Aquafina water brand, which will
be offered in aluminium cans in the US. The changes,
which will take effect next year, are expected to
eliminate more than 8,000 tonnes of virgin plastic
and approximately 11,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas
emissions. The move underscores PepsiCo's goals to
make 100% of its packaging recyclable, compostable, or
biodegradable and use 25% recycled plastic content in
all its plastic packaging by 2025.

The company is one of the largest users of foodgrade
recycled PET in the world. It has partnered with
The Recycling Partnership, Loop Industries, Alliance to
End Plastic Waste, and World Economic Forum's Global
Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) to both increase
recycling rates and improve the plastic recycling
infrastructure.

In a related development, compatriot beverage
firm Coca Cola Company’s Dasani water brand is to be
offered in the HybridBottle, which contains up to 50%
plant-based renewable and recycled PET materials
(PlantBottle and recycled PET plastic), and in aluminium
cans.

The 20-oz bottles and the aluminium can formats,
which will be available in the US in 2020, represent
Coca Cola’s goal of reducing plastics and incorporating
up to 50% recycled materials in its packaging by 2030.
Dasani, which in 2018 also pioneered the Purefill
package-less water dispensing unit, plans to remove
the equivalent of 1 billion virgin PET bottles from its US
supply chain over the next five years.

Sustainable packaging brewing for beers

Recyclable packaging is also catching up on the
glass-bottled alcoholic beverages market. Today,
beer can come in packaging formats like PET that
mimics the look of glass and flexible pouches,
which are less space consuming, easier and safer to
transport, and are recyclable.

Australian packaging company Amcor has
developed the first PET bottle for pasteurised beer
in Brazil. The company custom-designed 600 ml
containers for São Paulo-based beverage maker
New Age Bebidas for its Salzburg craft beer brand.
It features a glass-like, champagne-style base
combined with the convenience of lightweight and
shatter-resistant PET. It also features a crown metal
cap replicating the standard glass bottle.

According to Amcor, the PET bottles offer
design advantages over glass while being lighter
in weight, more easily and safely portable and
unbreakable, as well as providing the required
barrier protection.

Amcor uses an oxygen scavenger barrier
additive to prevent oxygen ingress and egress,
providing up to four months of shelf life. The PET
bottle is compatible with existing recycling streams
and is 100% recyclable. It also significantly reduces
transportation costs, and energy and carbon
emission reductions along the supply chain.

Likewise, British alcoholic beverage company
Diageo has eliminated the plastic packaging from
its beer brands, including Guinness, Harp and
Smithwick’s. The company reportedly invested £16
million to reduce the amount of plastic packaging
that translates to removing an equivalent of 40
million 50 cl plastic bottles from the global waste
stream. It will replace plastic shrink wrapping and
ring carriers on its beer multipacks with what it
says are recyclable and biodegradable cardboard
packaging.

Diageo says it is on track with its targets and
from 2025 will use plastics that allow for increased
consumer recycling rates; make its plastic use fully
recyclable (or reusable/compostable) and achieve an
average 40% recycled content in its plastic bottles,
with a target of 100% by 2030.

Sustainability in the game plan

Elsewhere, American toy company Hasbro, known
for the iconic Power Rangers series, is completely
phasing out plastic from its packaging by 2022.
Starting next year, the Rhode Island-based company
will be terminating bags, shrink wrapping, window
sheets and blister packs.

Meanwhile, it has already started using its new
plant-based PET for blister packs and plastic windows
in its product packaging. The company has outlined its
sustainable plans, which it hopes to achieve through
2025 across its facilities, including reducing GHG
emissions by 20%, and halving waste to landfills, as
well as reducing water and energy consumption by
15% and 20%, respectively.

A year ago, the company also launched a toy
and game recycling pilot programme with recycling
company TerraCycle to recycle used Hasbro toys
sent by consumers into materials that can be used
in the construction of play spaces, flower pots, park
benches, and other innovative uses.

Hasbro, resonating with the global move to reduce
the ecological footprint from packaging, proves that
the issue of plastic pollution is no child’s play.